| Research on College English(CE)curriculum has been scant,particularly on regarding the CE program as a whole,despite the fact that curriculum development has gained significant achievements over the last decade in China.This research takes the formulation of the Guidelines on College English Teaching(Draft)(The Guidelines)as its background to examine the CE curriculum development of four cases in Shanghai,in order to identify the contributing factors of the development process and the interplay among them.The Guidelines made its appearance in 2015.Formulated by the National Foreign Languages Teaching Advisory Board under the commission of the Ministry of Education(Mo E),this guiding policy document will serve as a basis for universities to draw up their CE curriculum,build their curriculum system,and conduct curriculum evaluation.Equally obvious in this document is the call for a more individualized and flexible curriculum in each university.This research strives to answer the following research questions:(1)What is the curriculum framework of the cases?(2)How do the cases implement their curriculum framework?(3)What factors contribute to the curriculum framework and the way it is implemented?This research uses a qualitative research approach by combing instruments of documentary analysis,interview,classroom observation and field note.Documentary evidences include the Guidelines and its guiding documents: The Guidelines of the National Program for Medium-and Long-Term Educational Reform and Development(2010-2020)and The Opinions on Improving Teaching Quality of Tertiary Education in All-rounded Ways(2012),school-based curriculum-related documents in the forms of curriculum/syllabus/teaching requirements/course description,teaching schedule,textbooks,etc.Interviews are conducted at two levels,those with the administrators of the CE division and front-line teachers(including heads of course groups),which amount to around 30 hours.All recordings are transcribed verbatim by the researcher herself.At least three classroom observations are conducted in each university,which last at least two class hours each,but to render the results and interpretation as clear as possible,only one teacher's classroom observation is presented in the research.Other teachers' data are integrated into field notes.Also included in the field notes are conversations between the researcher and the informants through contact medium like Wechat,school bus chat,small chats with students in the classroom or on the corridor before the class begins,etc.The major instrument adopted is deep-interview,the recording of which generates around 300,000 Chinese characters.A mainly grounded coding approach is followed in coding the research data,with the resulted coded themes and patterns reported in the research findings of each case.Theoretical building is conducted in the final chapter.Interpretation of research findings serves to answer the research questions.(1)With respect to curriculum goals,most cases stress the ability to use English during the compulsory/basic(which is usually EGP-centered)course period and one stresses the passing of CET-4.The satisfaction of students' individualized needs is promoted in the “electives” periods.The teaching objectives,equaling curriculum goals in some universities,are planned either by specific course groups or the CE division as a whole,which tend to be general and abroad.In terms of curriculum organization,a “compulsory + electives” pattern is followed,but this is not applicable to all as some poor levels do not have electives in some universities.The prescribed course modules of EGP,ESP and EIC in the Guidelines are covered by all cases,but not graded in a strict sense,as is described in the Guidelines.All EGP courses are graded.Allegedly,the intercultural element is either integrated with EGP or has corresponding courses in the “electives” module.The ESP module,especially EAP,however,has incurred different interpretation and confusion.They are not graded,either targeting certain groups or the majority of students in a compulsory way or set in electives,or both.It is the same with the content of EAP in that two universities use the same textbook but orient it differently.The EOP component is generally not included in the curriculum,perceived as either unnecessary or business of other departments.The design of curriculum framework is more based on recognition of the realistic situation of each case,and has varying degrees of gap from what is promoted in the Guidelines.(2)Curriculum implementation is examined both through “program implementation” and teachers' curriculum implementation in the classroom.The former mainly refers to measures taken to help teachers get more prepared in classroom teaching,usually implemented in forms of internal communication like collective lesson planning,which is conducted with varying degrees of intensity in different universities.Teacher allocation is also included in program allocation,although not the focus of this research.Curriculum implementation in the classrooms shows teachers' differences within one university and similarities across different universities,which highlights a personalized tendency.The teaching objectives,in particular,are interpreted by teachers themselves and tend to be random.(3)Multiple factors contribute to the CE curriculum development.Those contribute to curriculum design include both institutional and societal factors.The former is exemplified in the university(mainly OTA),other departments,teachers,students and evaluation;the latter include the MOE policy,local policy,other universities and foreign experience,etc.These factors might directly affect the curriculum framework.For example,teachers' expertise shapes the electives,and a top-down directive might affect the curriculum in minor or major ways,but they usually take effect through the cognition of the management.The management is usually at the core of decision-making.Teachers' classroom implementation is affected by institutional factors and intrapersonal factors.The former falls into categories of colleagues,students,time and class size.The latter can be categorized into teachers' personal cognition regarding teaching objectives/focus,teaching content,teaching activities,the CE course and test,and teachers' self-reflection,study or personal experiences.Teachers' cognition,although of different origins,can be mediated through self-reflection and study,which can originate from internal communication with colleagues.A visual presentation of these relationships is drawn up.Based on research findings and interpretation,this research argues that CE curriculum development conforms to major principles of DST(Dynamic Systems Theory).The following suggestions are put forward in response to research findings: the Mo E policymakers should enhance communication with the CE teaching division,especially the CE management,to deliver and classify their directives in a clear way.Each university should strive to coordinate interdepartmental cooperation and provide resources support to the CE division and teacher development(both in teacher quantity and quality).It should be more deliberate with the teacher evaluation system to better ensure teaching quality.The CE management should try to rely on collective wisdom and gain intellectual support through effective internal communication.They should make effective use of evaluation to make the curriculum development more dynamic,open and effective.The CE division should strive to formulate school-based teaching objectives,making it more specific and targeted.Internal communication and study among staff should be enhanced to facilitate teacher development.Teachers should endeavor to strengthen reflection and study on teaching self-consciously.Materials development should scrutinize the policy documents and be more deliberate in content selection and difficulty arrangement to meet students' input and proficiency.Supervision of materials development should be enhanced. |
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